Wise Preparation for Next Life

        In heaven, we'll be in full union with God, but we can start seeking union with him now. Once we have attained union with him on earth, our transition into the next life will be absolutely smooth and a joy.

**Condition of Spiritual Progress

        While meditating on the Lord and his life is good, to make rapid spiritual progress, you must desire him first. This is the necessary movement of the heart for you to know him.

***Taking Jesus Seriously

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins. The message is again that if we remain foolish, do not stay vigilant and prepare ourselves fully for his coming, we shall be shut out of the kingdom of heaven. Since this is the very Lord who revealed early in his ministry that he would be killed and rise in three days and all that came true, we'd better give serious attention to everything he has said.

Critical Recognition

        Luke 24.35: The disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. We all need that moment at which we recognize that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Pray for that moment if you haven't had it yet.

*Superior Living

        When you live only for yourself, you grow proud. Things go well and your become even more self-centered. Things go badly and you can be devastated. By contrast, living for God is wonderful because you don't take everything so personally anymore. When things go well, you rejoice in the Lord. And when they don't, you feel fine too, as he has willed that. Living for God is the perfect way to remain humbly in communion with him. 

**Love Most Beautiful

        I love the Blessed Mother and many other saints. Why? It's because they are so beautiful and lovely, made possible by their love for Christ. Christ is the one who has shown us how beautiful love can be and that he can make all of us beautiful!

Redirecting Negative Feelings

        Since I am familiar with piano playing, I know that many performing pianists when they experience nervousness on the stage channel that wasted energy into concentrating upon playing the music even better. In the same way, when we pray to God and nothing seems to happen, we can channel our anticipation into placing our trust in God even more. 

*Time to Abandon Ourselves

        Everything we need and enjoy comes from God. He always gives. Instead of feeling grateful or responding to his love, we who are powerless to save ourselves hold tightly onto ourselves and won't let ourselves go. How foolish we are, not to abandon a sinking ship! It's time to get on God's rescue boat and sail with him to eternal security.  

To Be Smart or Dumb

        To be smart is to know that God is greater than you, that he is your Father and loves you, that you should obey him and he'll bring you eternal happiness. To be utterly dumb is to rebel against God and believe that you can survive without him – do you really think that when you pit yourself against God in any game you play, you can come out on top? 

*Key Step to Heaven

        In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter responded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the the living God." Jesus said to him, "Blesses are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." Here is the first truth we must come to acknowledge to be saved. The journey to heaven begins with this little giant step.  

Unique Inner Peace

        You experience the ultimate inner peace after God has made you clean and you and God become one in total harmony. There is no other peace greater or more profound. This is how God has made us.

*Better Way of Doing Good

        My thoughts following might very well upset some people, but please hear me out. I do believe that the Holy Spirit made me see it. Parish churches have been raising money by many ways. Some common examples are holding bingo nights or auctions, selling raffle tickets or tickets for feeds. Everyone has a good time and helps a good cause. But does the end justify the means? For the means play on your gambling instinct, your desire for material goods or your indulgent appetite. Wouldn't it be far better to do good without the need to be lured into doing it. What the Lord wants from us is doing good in secret without expecting to receive any gratification or reward.

Only God Can Do It!

        Today is Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In the Gospel reading from John 2, Jesus at the beginning of his ministry already knew of his Resurrection when he said to the Jews, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." He was speaking about the temple of his Body. For me, anyone who can destroy death has to be the creator of life, our God.

Perfect State of Existence

        Revelation 21.3: I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. When we belong to God and he becomes our God, we and God become one and he is all ours. God and his people in perfect harmony – this is our perfect state of existence. 

**Quick Reminder

         We can only get rid of our sins during our brief time on earth.        

**Glory and Humility

        I blogged not too long ago that the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ on the altar during Mass is as great and wonderful a miracle as his transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. During the transfiguration, when his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light, he displayed his dazzling glory. Then when he quietly comes in the form bread and wine for us to consume, he shows his utter humility. Glory and humility in one person – what an awe-inspiring combination!

All Will Be Fair

        Life seems unfair until you realize that there's our God who is always just and there is also life after death. Then you know that all will be fair at the end.

Appreciation Through Loss

        We often don't appreciate something until after we lose it. Years ago, I left my wife in front of a hotel in Merida, Mexico, to check if there was any vacancy. Since I couldn't stop my car there for long, I told her I would drive around the block and back, not realizing that it's much easily said than done. It's also late evening and hard to look for street signs plus the fact that I did not read Spanish. Soon I went around and around and lost my way. To make a long story short, I found my way back almost an hour later. Of course, the overwhelming joy of finding my wife waiting out there made me appreciate her even more. Today's example. I enjoy the peace of the Lord until I commit a sin. It only needs to be a minor offense to make me lose my peace. This makes me treasure his peace even more.